Walk It Off, Princess

by David Thorne

A book about cantilevers, secret spots, and Antarctic expeditions by the New York Times Bestselling author of The Internet is a Playground.“Absolutely hilarious! One of the funniest books of the year.” THE GUARDIAN“Laugh-out-loud funny” THE BOSTON GLOBE“I once stabbed a stripper in the car park of Paradise City Gentlemen’s Club. Her body is buried in a field at coordinates 38°51'40.1"N 78°51'41.2"W.” JM SNELL“Fans of Thorne's unique brand of humor are in for a treat.” PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Comedy, Short Stories, Essays, Satire

233 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

David Thorne is an Australian humourist, satirist, Internet personality and New York Times best-selling author. His work has been featured on the BBC, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Thorne gained public recognition in late 2008 for an email exchange in which he attempts to pay an overdue bill with a drawing of a seven-legged spider. The exchange spread virally via email and social networking sites, leading to a surge of visitors to his website 27b/6 (27bslash6). 27b/6 features a collection of humorous emails and articles from Thorne's life. These and additional essays appear in Thorne's book, The Internet is a Playground. Published by Penguin Group and released on 28 April 2011, the book debuted at number four on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Reviews

[jv poore · Rating 4 out of 5]

My pattern of buying the newest David Thorne book, reading it and laughing until my eyes cry (even when reading in public), then buying a couple more copies to donate to my favorite classroom library continues with Walk It Off Princess. Few things bring me as much joy as seeing books I've donated sitting on students' desk and when I actually see them reading and hear them chuckling, it's gold.

[Ashleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another collection of funny essays and articles from author David Thorne's life. If I'm honest, this has been my least favourite book I've read by him. I understand that he more than likely exaggerates most of the stories he includes, but it felt like he was trying too hard with this one, and I wasn't laughing like I normally do.

I did like the story about how he was conned by a man in the early 2000s. That story felt genuine and it's interesting when he lets down his guard and confesses to a vulnerability. It makes it easier to connect with him and his writing, and that might have been my favourite story in this collection.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outra leitura divertida, e o primeiro livro de 2018 :D

[Glenys · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank goodness a friend lent me this.....awfully expensive toilet paper otherwise.

[Philibusted · Rating 4 out of 5]

Subtly not so subtle humor. (Russian ice breakers, indeed.)

I particularly enjoyed the scathing veracity that the author may or may not gave presented his tragically (for the most part) afflicted supporting cast. His wife, Holly, is probably going to be up for sainthood by the end of her days.

I also appreciated the underlying theme of appreciating how the joys we find in life, the people that we love, often come into our lives through a combination of misery and fortune - a message perhaps meant to carry us through these mendacious times.

Maybe he’s telling us all to walk it off, Princess[es]. And maybe he’s hoping it’ll help us fight off the morbid malaise that infects all the cascading victims of those conned by spineless con artists.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't typically seek out books that would be classified as "humor," but I was browsing in the library and the jacket described Thorne as a copywriter (hey! I'm one, too!) among other things, and so I gave it whirl, and while I've been known to chuckle at something funny in a book on occasion, what makes this book a standout is the handful of times I let out a real guffaw. Thorne has a real penchant for crafting (or recalling) witty dialogue and a keen eye for life's absurdities, and since I'm discovering him rather along in his career and finding him to be a super-sharp craftsman, I'm even more excited to dip into his back catalogue, because these days, more than ever, seem to require levity, humor, and more genuine guffawing. Recommended!

[Alexander Carlson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A nice way to spend a few hours on, humouros if not hilarious, easily read though I suspect easily forgotten. First part of the book does not have any overall theme, feels a bit rambling and that the quest for a laugh takes precedence over any attempt at structure. Second part about working in the design industry, getting swindled by a con man and ultimately letting the past go, or walking it off, is much more enjoyable as the balance between fun and substance is way better.

[Zach Levin · Rating 3 out of 5]

While humorous, this book doesn't approach the heights of much of David Thorne's material. There are a few solid chuckles in there, but mostly it only rises to amusing. Thorne's writing style can feel a bit jarring at times, almost as if he were writing a screenplay instead of a book. The scenes will hard cut before resolution, with the revelation of why the change was made not revealed until you've read on a bit. There were a few times when I thought a printing mistake had been made.

A few times, he crosses the line past controversial and is just offensive. Definitely some things that were considered off-color in 2017, and even more so now. Having read a bit of his work I know that much of his humor comes from pushing boundaries, but it's usually at the expense of someone that we are convinced "deserves it". There are moments in here that feel like classic punching down.

Overall, a quick read that has humor and even some touching moments...I just wish there had been more of the former.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it. Love it. Don't have anything intensely insightful to say about it. I just love his stuff and they're fun little fluff reads for me, seeing him be silly and fuck with people. They don't help me process my emotional issues or any of that nonsense. They are just a lovely diversion. I support everything he does. Also I notice about 3000 typos in the ebooks, but I'm guessing he doesn't have a proper editor for his shit, so par for the course.

[Terry Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorne NEVER disappoints, and his latest book is no exception. Literally one of the few writers that I actually "laugh out loud" at while reading. The introduction (with David's edits to same) alone is screamingly funny, and sets the tone for the rest of this collection of essays ... which also continues to show his maturation as a writer, with some of the stories he shares offering up more bittersweet lessons learned from his experiences. A keeper.

[Vasili Sviridov · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice mix of melancholy and hilarity. Written in a similar autobiographic style that "Wrap it in a bit of cheese..." was. Sometimes it's hard to tell what is fiction and what has really happened, so some of the more somber episodes are quite jarring at first. The swimming cap prank bit had me laughing so hard I was in tears...

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely dreadful

Whilst trying hard to grow up into a sensible and responsible adult i yet again read another one of these books. Now it's just moaning at the cats and making childish comments about literally everything. For the love of God stop writing this c##p. My family think I'm 12 years old.

[william · Rating 5 out of 5]

With witt and offbeat humor this author is the first that ever made me laugh out loud while reading (to my wifes dismay).
I do believe that if one doesn't possess a darker sense of humor with an appreciation for a great smartass then it may not be of the caliber of enjoyment for you as it was for me.

[Kav Van der linden · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Thorne rarely disappoints me. Finished this in a day because putting it down was not an option. Not only hilarious, but occasionally touching, and he has this comfortable momentum in the way he writes.

[Gwendlyn Drayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Thorne still has the ability to make me burst into fits of laughter while reading. The way he writes enables me to imagine the scene in my head and that just makes me laugh out loud every time 😁

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but really not as funny as his first book. I didn't feel compelled to keep reading, and mainly just finished out of obligation. How strong suits of his previous books is usually on his snarky conversations with others. I don't get very much of that from this book.

[Vincent Rey · Rating 4 out of 5]

As hilarious as I had expected. What surprised me was the amount of tenderness and heart in most of the entries.
Highly enjoyable. Classic David Thorne.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious.

[George Shafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Great and Funny Book!

I have read all of David’s books and have found them all funny. His sense of humor tickles my funny bone every time. Cannot wait for the next one.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I, personally favor the life’s motto, “Suck it up, Princess”. But, this preference in no way diminished my enthusiasm for David’s latest tome. Read it.

[Sonja Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the book for p.75 “Cantilevers”. Absolutely beautifully written. The whole book is hilarious as all get out.

[Kelly Massey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I start writing a review for this book a snarky Thorne-esque response comes to mind. So instead I'll leave the five-star review for hilarity and simply end with, "Walk It Off, Princess."

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical David Thorne. Humor that makes you laugh out loud, cringe, roll your eyes and feel bad that you actually laughed at that.

[Johan Söderström · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not hilarious

I did get some good laughs and chuckles and generally enjoyed the book but it's not really like his first work, which is genius

[Jean-Sébastien Goulet · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very decent little book. Lots of good laughs as usual with David Thorne. Keep em coming David!

[Jenette · Rating 4 out of 5]

The humour and wit in this book at one point had me giggling so much I thought I would cry. I immediately bought another of his.

[Tore · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a light and short read, but entertaining! Perfect for a flight, or a few hours train trip.

[Nikky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorne's books manage to capture the banality of everyday experiences in an uncommonly relatable style. The titular story—which makes up half of the book—is of particular good quality.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining quick read but not as funny as The Internet is a Playground and it was really pricey to get in Canada.

[Reggie Malz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious!!! Read his first book, it’s the best of all of them... then read the series!